


Don't forget to take pictures

by Yngvildr the Voracious (Yngvildr_the_Voracious)



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Domestic, Fluff, M/M, Wiccan - Freeform, Winter, Yule, widomauk server exchange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-16 02:00:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17540522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yngvildr_the_Voracious/pseuds/Yngvildr%20the%20Voracious
Summary: Caleb wants to do something special for their first solstice together. He frets, his sense of self is fraying as the edges and he feels guilty about everything...Don't forget to take pictures





	Don't forget to take pictures

It was stressful, but he wanted to do it right. He had a list: Fjord provided with what he remembered from their days as roommates, but he didn’t pay attention much and the altar had been confined to the corner of Molly’s room, so Caleb had to do a deep research to fill in the blanks. The red headed mage was also relieved to see that he didn’t have to simply present him with the bags of supplies and could set it all up himself as long as he followed the instructions. 

 

_ It looks simple _ , he thought as he put a box of gold coloured candles in the cart. He had amassed everything he could without his friends in tow; gold and silver candles, candle coasters that glittered with moons and stars. There were woven table decorations and even a small wooden broom Caleb thought was plastic, left over from Halloween and seemingly made from bamboo and birch twigs. He’d have to double check with Caduceus. 

 

As he checked out, he threw in a couple of candy canes, just because that part would be funny.

 

He hoped he had it right. 

 

“You were behind him all the time, supportive in your silence. Participating, right now, it’s the best gift you could offer him. Even if you blunder, he’ll appreciate that you even did this.” Caduceus said out loud as they loaded Caleb’s car. 

 

The red head took a deep sigh.

 

“You just know when we’re not exactly ourselves, don’t you?”

 

“I mean… You’re pretty adept at making your face go all blank and everything, but you’re always a bit tense in the rest of your body when you don’t want stuff to go bad.” Caduceus admitted. 

 

Caleb offered a smile as he started the car. The woods were not far and he didn’t have much in the way of perishable goods in the trunk so he was ready to trudge into the cold. A white sheen of frost made it harder for him to recognise the branches to look for, but that was why he had asked for Caduceus’ help for this. 

 

“Man, I hope you send us a picture.” his friend said as they loaded the car once again. “I’m sure he’s going to look like… Well, like a child in front of their Yule present.” Caduceus chuckled. 

 

“One of the reasons why I am doing all of this is for this exact reason.” Caleb acknowledged. “I’ll remember to take pictures.”

 

“Oh, that you will. Can you swing by The Grove, I forgot something there when I left and it’s on your way…”

 

“Sure…”

 

Caleb should have recognised it as an obvious ploy to add more tea supplies, incense sticks and a holly bough that had the time to dry in the safety of the Clays’ little herbs and remedies shop since it was harvested, apparently the very day Caleb had called on him for help, as well as a branch of cedar.

 

“Deuce… You didn’t have to.” Caleb said, a knot forming in his throat. 

 

“Oh, it’s quite alright. It’s your first Yule and it’s your first with Mollymauk, you two deserve nice things.”

 

To prevent his head to go someplace dark, Caleb drove Caduceus to the airport in appreciative silence and then went to his own home. As he was unloading the trunk something fell out of one of the bags. A book had been placed in haste between some of the smaller pouches of herbs. A paper was coming out of it with a barely legible scrawl on it. There before him a book rested among some of the smaller pouches of herbs, a paper sticking out of it. 

 

Caleb promised himself he would take multiple pictures throughout the night. 

 

The book was about old Yule traditions. It had some notes in the margins about the Clay’s own twist on them including a recipe for some sort of season appropriate beverage that looked a lot like the one Caleb had found on the Internet but with additional spices. A quick search through the pouches revealed that Caduceus had provided them what they would need. Of course. Caleb would have to ask Mollymauk about appropriate Yule gifts for Wildmother worshippers. Maybe he would also restore the book’s spine as well before returning it. 

 

Taking a deep breath Caleb set himself to work. First was the table; he moved it  the the center of their little living room and set a green cloth at the center. The pine cones and the gold and silver discs and stars were placed almost mathematically to align between what would be their two positions. There would be one silver coloured candle on Molly’s side and one gold on his. He found it extremely apropos considering his own connexion to fire magic. The holly bough was brought, then the branch of cedar which Caduceus’ book suggested was spiritually seasonal. 

 

It felt strange, arranging a dinner table like one would an altar. All his life Caleb had studied Magical Science and not given a thought about the spiritual implications while Mollymauk, self-taught, so young of mind, had latched onto the Moonweaver; weaving crowns of willow leaves and mistletoe and prayed with his crystal pendant over his glass wand. Caleb was hesitant to get them from the tiny altar in Molly’s bedside table, but he did so anyway, taking a deep breath before retrieving the items with both hands, reverently. The Winter Solstice was also a full moon and his research had pointed towards the inclusion of these to be a good idea if Sehanine was the chief deity of the practitioner. He set them on Molly’s side and realised that his whole setup had become quite unbalanced. 

 

Soon Caleb would need to start preparing food. He had gone with just some meat and potatoes, making extra effort to make a sauce to pair. . However, the time spent by planning  even a simple meal would be lost if he had to call on Caduceus. He let the table as it was and got started on the Wassail, hoping it would be alright and he wouldn’t offend his partner let alone any deity on such a night.

 

Then, the wait; made even more nerve wracking than anticipated. Caleb had a book to read while waiting for Molly to come home  so he could start cooking. It was a book about his favourite subject, a fun little tome on space dilation in Transmutation spells. Any other day it would have fascinated him. However, tonight was the Night of the Solstice, or Yule, and he couldn’t help but glare at the table and the empty space between the plate that would be his and the golden coloured candles. 

 

Caleb switched from the textbook to the one Caduceus lent him. He read some more information on his phone and even thought to leave a message on his tall friend’s voicemail before chiding himself. Caduceus was on the plane home for his own family’s Yule celebration which meant he was looking forward to his holidays, not to explain to his agnost friend yet another point. Even if Caduceus would be happy too didn’t mean Caleb should to take advantage of his friendliness. Rising to stir the wassail didn’t help much put his head off things but Caleb managed to stay any further frustrating research until he heard the key in the lock and got into the kitchen to start the food. He was keenly aware of Molly’s usual pattern of removing his coat, shoes and his work uniform to get into his much more comfortable robe. 

 

Caleb hurried and served two tall glasses of wassail and started the soothing music by Molly’s favourite band before he turned the lights off and summoned his Dancing Lights. From afar, he heard Molly rummage in his makeup drawer, probably for a wipe as well as his night cream. He would be here any minute. Any minute. 

 

Then the gasp, which Caleb took at his cue to enter the living room again with the two glasses of wassail he had prepared. 

 

“Hello.” he said before he started to hum. 

 

He couldn’t bring himself to sing it properly, but Molly looking shocked and amazed at once, joined him. 

 

_ Here we come a-wassailing _

_ among the leaves so green. _

_ Here we come a-wand'ring _

_ so fair to be seen. _

 

“You did this?” Molly interrupted, his smile swallowing his face. 

 

Caleb could only nod, because no matter how happy Mollymauk looked right now, he knew there was something wrong and he couldn’t shake his head from it. 

 

“By yourself?”

 

“Caduceus helped.”

 

“Of course, he did, the bastard… You wassailed me! Last time I had that, I was still at the circus! Damn Desmond never shared his recipe…”

 

Caleb started to calm down. Hearing Molly’s voice soothed him, always and he could feel a smile creeping up on him. Molly was happy. Molly would not notice the unbalance of the altar. The rest was between Caleb and the Gods and he could deal with that later. 

 

“Are you alright, dear?”

 

“Yes, sure. I started the food, but if you want to eat now, we can get the wasabi crackers you think I didn’t see you stashed in the corner of the bread basket and I won’t mention it after.” Caleb offered, his face straight but his heart doing somersaults at the sound of Mollymauk’s laughter. 

 

“Alright, but I’m the one getting them. I know it’s useless, just, humour me!” Molly giggled before he kissed Caleb’s nose and walked to the kitchen, to get his crackers. He came back with his hand already in the bag and his mouth already full, settling naturally at his place on the table. 

 

“It’s marvelous, Caleb, I love what you did with the table...”

 

Caleb’s face froze, he hoped Molly wouldn’t notice, he had a handful of wasabi crackers and the other was hovering above his wand. He just couldn’t help but wait for the other shoe to drop. 

 

“Now, if you were a practitioner, we could get you one if you’d like. Don’t wizards occasionally use wands?” the tiefling asked. 

 

“They… We do actually.” Caleb said. “Oh, why didn’t I think of this sooner.” he mumbled. 

 

“It’s alright, we’ll do it together. There would be tons of research to do to link the arcane and the divine anyway, you wouldn’t have pulled it on time.” Molly told him, bringing his hand to his. “You put candles in your colours and you did all this, I am extremely happy you did.” 

 

His red eyes glimmered under the dancing lights and the now lit candles. Caleb couldn’t help but bring the hand on his to his lips before he went to check on the food, everything was fine with his steak (well done) so he only had to put Molly’s in the pan for a minute on each side and soon her was arriving with two plates. 

 

The meal was pleasant, Molly steered the conversation away from the table/altar he made, instead talking about his day. It felt familiar, it felt good. 

 

_ It feels like us. _

 

The dessert was an apple pie with cider. Caleb chose it a bit strong, especially for this occasion, so he let Molly chose the movie, he let Molly’s arms embrace him and he let himself fall asleep in front of  _ The Night Before Christmas _ . The last thing he felt was the lips on his forehead. 

 

_ I love you. _ Molly’s voice floated above his ear, careful, soft and loving.

 

Caleb forgot to take pictures, but it was alright. He said  _ I love you back. _

 

**Author's Note:**

> I am sorry it took this long oh my god I wanted this to be just right and I only went back to wicca recently and only had knowledge from a brief fascination as a kid around my HP years. I hope you like it. Thank you so very much to Deer Slime (aka pastelNothing on AO3) for betaing at least part of that, I love you!


End file.
